Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

The weather in Chang'an is pleasant in early spring.

Inside the Taiji Hall, wisps of green smoke rose from the gilded animal-head incense burner, but they could not dispel the tense atmosphere in the air.

Civil and military officials stood with their heads bowed, as if their hands and feet were tied by invisible ropes. No one dared to break the suffocating silence.

Li Zhi sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes as sharp as torches as he scanned the ministers below who were silent as a mouse in fear.

This emperor, who was in his prime, was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, and the jade belt with dragon pattern around his waist shone coldly in the candlelight.

In recent days, memorials have been flying into the imperial court like snowflakes, and between the lines are the tragic situations of the people whose families have been broken up and whose lives have been lost. The culprit of all this is the Five-Stone Powder that has caused great harm to people.

Thinking of this, Li Zhi's anger suddenly ignited, and he slapped the armrest of the dragon throne heavily, making a dull sound.

"Li Yifu!" Li Zhi's voice was like a heavy hammer, breaking the silence.

Li Yifu, who was in a trance, suddenly trembled all over, as if struck by thunder.

He stepped out of the line tremblingly, beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his pale cheeks and soaking the official uniform on his chest.

The matter of Wu Shi San has long been no secret among the powerful and wealthy.

At first, Wu Shi San was a luxury product used by nobles to show off their status. Its production process was complicated and the materials were precious.

After taking it, people experience a sense of euphoria, as if they were in a fairyland, but behind this fleeting pleasure lies an abyss of irretrievable destruction. Once addicted, it is like a thorn in the tarsal bone, and it is difficult to quit.

With the advancement of industrialization, the production cost of Wu Shi San has been greatly reduced.

Those profit-seeking businessmen smelled the huge business opportunity.

They extended their evil hands to ordinary people and used various means to lure them into trying their tricks.

The common people were already full of curiosity about the things of the nobility. They had some extra money and the retail price of the five stones did not seem high. Many people tried it out of curiosity, but they did not know that they were stepping into an endless abyss.

It might be bearable once or twice, but Wu Shi San is highly addictive. Once you become addicted, you will lose everything.

In the streets and alleys, tragedies of couples being separated and families being broken up are constantly happening.

Li Yifu knew clearly that the forces behind the Wu Shi San business were deeply intertwined and spread all over the Tang Dynasty.

From royal relatives to important officials in the court, from local tyrants to gangs, countless people got a piece of the pie.

Once he opened his mouth, he would become the target of public criticism, but since His Majesty had already asked, how could he dare to go against the Holy Will?

Just as Li Yifu was racking his brains, considering his words, and preparing to reply, Li Zhi suddenly waved his hand.

Li Yifu was about to feel relieved as if he had been pardoned, but he was so shocked by Li Zhi's next words that he almost fell down.

"From today on, the Jinyiwei and the Bad Guys will work together. Anyone who dares to get involved in the Wushisan business within the Tang Dynasty will be executed, regardless of status!"

Li Zhi's words were decisive and carried an undeniable authority. "This case will be supervised by the Empress!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a slight commotion in the court.

The ministers looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and anxiety.

They knew very well that the Queen was tough and decisive, and that if she supervised the case this time, it would definitely cause a bloody storm.

Before anyone could recover from their shock, Li Zhi announced in a resounding voice, "Also, anyone who abducts women and children will be immediately executed by being cut into pieces once verified!"

"In any case of cruel means, we must give the person a taste of his own medicine!"

"Those who rob and plunder will have their entire families exiled to the Middle East as slaves!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yan could no longer suppress his worry. He quickly stepped out of the group, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that in cases of robbery, the family members should not be implicated. Only the main culprit should be punished."

"Our Tang Dynasty governs with propriety and has always adhered to the ancient precept of 'don't let misfortune reach your family members.' Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision!"

Li Zhi looked at Pei Yan sternly, raised his eyelids slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Pei Qing, the premise of 'misfortune does not extend to the family' is 'blessings do not extend to the family'."

"Those robbers, whose entire families enjoyed ill-gotten gains and lived in luxury, are now committing serious crimes. How can they remain unscathed?"

"I have made my decision on this matter. The Empress will supervise the matter and ensure it is handled strictly and swiftly!"

At this point, a fierce look flashed in Li Zhi's eyes: "Empress of Heaven, you must use thundering means to scare away those evil spirits."

"I want to see how many heads they have left!"

After the court was dismissed, the news spread quickly throughout the streets and alleys of Chang'an City as if it had wings.

When the powerful people heard the news, they became restless.

They paced back and forth in their respective mansions, discussing countermeasures.

Some people tried to use their connections to plead with Li Zhi, some planned to temporarily move the Wu Shi San business underground, and some even had the idea of ​​rebellion.

But among the people, when they heard the news, they cheered.

In the streets and alleys, people gathered in groups of three or five to discuss the matter. A ragged old man, tears glistening in his cloudy eyes, said excitedly, "God has mercy! Now those harmful creatures will finally be eradicated!"

"My poor grandson was tortured to death because he tasted the Five Stones Powder. Now the day of revenge has finally come!"

After receiving the order, Wu Meiniang immediately began to make arrangements.

She drew out the elite forces of the Jinyiwei and the Bad Guys to form a special operations team.

Each of these people has unique skills and acts decisively.

Wu Meiniang personally convened a meeting and issued a death order: "This operation must be carried out with ruthless impartiality. No matter who is found, no leniency is allowed! Anyone who dares to shield or condone them will be punished as a criminal!"

Under Wu Meiniang's command, the action team quickly took action.

They quietly sneaked into every corner of the Tang Dynasty and conducted a comprehensive investigation of the production, transportation and sales network of Wu Shi San.

Soon, one Wushisan workshop after another hidden in the alleys was destroyed, and batches of people involved in the case were arrested.

As the investigation deepened, the case became clearer, and some court ministers and royal relatives were also implicated.

Faced with tremendous pressure, some people chose to commit suicide, while others fought to the bitter end.

But Wu Meiniang remained unmoved. She personally interrogated important criminals, and her harsh methods frightened everyone.

While cracking down on the Wu Shi San, Wu Meiniang did not forget the other tasks assigned by Li Zhi.

Regarding cases of trafficking in women and children, she required government offices in all regions to solve the cases in the shortest possible time and severely punish the criminals.

For a time, those human traffickers hiding in the dark felt insecure and fled from the Tang Dynasty one after another.

Wu Zetian was even more ruthless when it came to cases of robbery.

She sent out commissioners to investigate the evil deeds of local tyrants.

Once verified, not only will the main culprit be severely punished, but his family will also be exiled to the distant Middle East as slaves.

This massive rectification campaign lasted for several months, and Chang'an City and even the entire Tang Dynasty experienced an unprecedented storm.

Countless powerful people fell, and social morale was boosted.

The corners that were once shrouded in darkness are gradually illuminated by light.

However, this transformation was not smooth sailing.

During the rectification process, Wu Meiniang offended too many people.

Those nobles and ministers who had lost their power secretly colluded and waited for an opportunity to take revenge.

In the court, the voices against Wu Zetian never stopped.